El Fabiolo set for surprise Sandown run as Mullins aims to 'make it difficult' for title rivals - but Jonbon could scupper plans

Willie Mullins will send El Fabiolo to tackle Sandown's Celebration Chase on April 27 as he chases the British jumps trainers' crown – and he could be joined on the boat by Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior.

However, Nicky Henderson is threatening to make the Sandown job harder after revealing the Celebration Chase was still under serious consideration for Melling Chase winner Jonbon ahead of the jumps season finale at the Esher track.

After landing his second Grand National with I Am Maximus last Saturday, Mullins is in pole position to secure the trainers' title having brought his British prize-money earnings to £2,874,693, narrowly ahead of Dan Skelton and defending champion Paul Nicholls.

El Fabiolo lost his unbeaten record over fences in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham when hitting the fifth hard and sprawling on landing, causing Paul Townend to pull up the 2-9 shot shortly after.  

The four-time Grade 1 winner holds an entry for the Punchestown Champion Chase, but Mullins is firmly leaning towards a tilt at Sandown's £150,000 contest, which was won by Jonbon last season.

Willie Mullins: "It'll be a very important race, it could be huge"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Mullins said: "El Fabiolo will definitely go to Sandown. It'll be a very important race, it could be huge. Paul Nicholls is a master at winning the championship and he will have his tactics ready. We're hoping we can get one nice prize and make it difficult for Dan and Paul.

"El Fabiolo just wasn't right coming back from Cheltenham so we gave him a break and let him find his feet, but he's been bucking and kicking the last few mornings. We let him recuperate and he's done that. He's fit as a flea and one or two bits of work should see him right for Sandown."

Mullins is set to saddle a formidable squad at Ayr and Sandown over the next fortnight, and Gaelic Warrior is also in contention to join El Fabiolo.

He added: "Gaelic Warrior could go to Sandown, we'll see how things go, but I'd like to go to Punchestown with him. It's not something I like doing [putting a novice into open company], but maybe this year we might. El Fabiolo will be there and he might be enough."

Speaking further about his challenge on the British trainers' title, he said: "We're bringing a lot to Ayr. It has thrown a bit of spanner in the works for our Punchestown team, but I think we'll still have an A-team. 

"It's amazing, coming home from Aintree the amount of texts and phone calls I got from my owners to say if you want to bring my horse to Ayr, Perth or whatever, we'll do that. The owners are part of the team and they want to be part of it.

"We're getting huge goodwill, especially from people across the water as it's adding a bit of spice to the end of the season. It's a once-in-a-lifetime achievement if we can manage to pull it off. We're going to try put everything into it.

"Paul [Townend] has his own championship to try and win. I won't be standing in his way if he wants to stay in Ireland. We're lucky enough to have a good team of jockeys. Danny [Mullins] goes over today to ride as Paul is riding at Clonmel and we wish him the best in the championship."

Jonbon: could make a quick turnaround from his Aintree victoryCredit: Edward Whitaker

Jonbon missed a clash with El Fabiolo at Cheltenham when Henderson's horses were under a cloud, but the trainer is keen for his Aintree winner to have another outing this spring.

He said: "Jonbon is very much in the melting pot to [go to] Sandown or Punchestown. There's a few for Punchestown so we could go either way. He appears to have come out of Aintree really well. It was a tough race, but he's quite a tough horse these days and he's taken it well. 

"We don't have a preference about where to go, we'll just see who's doing what. We'll go wherever. Punchestown does give us another four days, although we'd have to travel."

British trainers' championship
Ladbrokes: 1-2 Willie Mullins, 11-4 Dan Skelton, 5-1 Paul Nicholls

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Patrick Mullins: Game on for the trainers' title - but I'm watching from afar as my National dreams are soon dashed

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